Community
Govans Community Farm Receives $160,000 State Grant
Govans Presbyterian Church is pleased to announce the award of a $160,000 grant from the State of Maryland through the Fiscal Year 2026 Baltimore Regional Neighborhood Initiative (BRNI). This funding will support the expansion of the Govans Community Farm located at 5828 York Road in Baltimore. The Govans Community Farm is an idea born from our work promoting Racial Justice. Recognizing the continued impact and legacy of past injustices, we see an opportunity to address this legacy through the cooperative…
Govans Food Ministry Update
The Govans Presbyterian session (church leadership) shared this message with church members Wednesday, December 17, 2025, to update them about the future of the church Food Ministry. Dear Govans Members, As you probably know, Govans Food Ministry has been the focus of significant discussion in recent weeks, particularly following the session’s November decision to cease operation of the Soul Kitchen in its current form. After prayerful reflection and careful review of feedback from the congregation and community, the session revisited…
From Soul Kitchen to Community Fridge: Continuing Our Commitment to Feeding Baltimore
Govans Presbyterian Church will begin a new direction for its Food Ministry in the near future. Our campus will soon launch the Govans Presbyterian Church Community Fridge and pantry, which will be accessible 24/7 for community members to take what they need and/or donate what they can. The Govans Presbyterian Church Fridge will be part of the Baltimore City Fridge Network, which supports 20+ refrigerators and pantries throughout Baltimore City. Entirely run by volunteers, this growing network of residents works…
Govans Hosts BUILD Listening Session to Guide Action Plan
Fifteen congregants and community members met the afternoon of November 2, 2025 for a BUILD (Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development) listening session. After joining BUILD this year, Govans pledged to host a listening session before the end of the year to help identify the important community issues we collectively face in North Baltimore. We addressed two questions during the listening session. The first asked for names of successful initiatives that were only possible through working with others. Some examples were…
Black Baltimore artists sought to design new art for Sanctuary
The Racial Justice Committee has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for art work to supplement the window at the front of our sanctuary. Artwork will be hung on both sides of the window. Our desire is to portray a welcoming and inclusive community in our worship space. Please distribute the attached RFP to any interested Black artists who reside in Baltimore. Deadline for submission is March 11, 2024. Submissions and questions can be directed to Patreena Parsons, govansart@gmail.com.
Pastor Tom’s Statement on BLM Sign Vandalism
On Sunday afternoon, August 27th the Black Lives Matter sign displayed by our church, Govans Presbyterian, was vandalized. The banner had been vandalized once before and lovingly repaired by a church member. We recently had our Pride Flag stolen as well. Other churches in the area displaying similar messages of love and diversity affirming symbols have had similar acts of vandalism. We live in a society in which values are communicated in images, symbols, and sound bytes. As a church…
WYPR’s “On the Record” features Govans’ “Juneteenth Jubilee”
WYPR’s On the Record with Sheilah Kast featured our Juneteenth Jubilee celebration, happening June 12, 2023! This multi-genre concert (classical, jazz, blues, gospel, spirituals, ragtime, folk, etc.) will feature music composed by or for African-American musicians. It is being organized by Jonathan Jensen, bassist for the award winning Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Lea Gilmore, First Service Music Director and Minister for Racial Justice and Multicultural Engagement.
The Caroline Center discusses Career Training for Local Women on Believe in Baltimore
Jessica Robey and Kisha Barnes of The Caroline Center discussed the importance of career training for local women with Pastors Tom and Billy on the latest episode of Govan’s community podcast, Believe in Baltimore. The podcast features local leaders and changemakers, interviewing them about their work in our city and discussing a relevant Bible story alongside Govans pastors and staff. The Caroline Center provides free career education for women in Baltimore City. Learn more about their work on their website:…
Chris Dipnarine talks Food Waste with Believe in Baltimore Podcast
Pastors Tom and Billy discuss reducing food waste and creating amazing compost with Chris Dipnarine from the local non-profit, 4MyCity. Learn more about their work in Baltimore on their website, https://4mycity.us/. Listen to the episode online, click here! Believe in Baltimore is a podcast conversation with community leaders and change-makers in Baltimore, Maryland, hosted by Govans Presbyterian Church. In each episode, we welcome a local leader to share about their work in Charm City, as well as their hopes and…
Councilmember Mark Conway speaks to Believe in Baltimore Podcast
Is the environment a social justice concern? How can neighborhoods around Baltimore work together to strengthen our city? Baltimore City District 4 Councilmember Mark Conway recently joined Govans’ community podcast, Believe in Baltimore, to discuss his work on the council and in the community with Pastors Tom and Billy. Mark Conway hails from the Bronx, New York. Mark studied Government and Politics and Philosophy at the University of Maryland. After completing his undergraduate studies, he pursued a Master’s of Public…
Believe in Baltimore Podcast with Hex Ferments
We discuss sauerkraut and social change with Meaghan (she/her) and Shane (he/him) of HEX Ferments in Baltimore, Maryland.
Believe in Baltimore Podcast Launched
Govans Presbyterian Church’s first podcast conversation, “Believe in Baltimore” featuring Pure chocolate by Jinji. is out today! In the first episode we speak with Jinji Fraser (she/her) of Pure Chocolate by Jinji about chocolate making, what makes Baltimore special, and closing the chasms of difference in our community. Read more about Jinji and Govans in the show notes! About the Podcast Believe in Baltimore is a podcast conversation with community leaders and change-makers in Baltimore, Maryland, hosted by Govans Presbyterian…